Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has announced the integration of shopping into the groups of new WhatsApp updates in the messaging service. In a social media post on Tuesday (22 June), Zuckerberg said that users will soon be able to view a shop on WhatsApp so they can chat with a business before buying something.
Businesses simply need to set up their shop once for it to work across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, according to him. The news is part of a larger drive by Facebook-owned businesses, with Instagram releasing a new function that allows users to buy things by searching for images.
WhatsApp announced in a blog post earlier this month that it will be releasing a number of enhancements that would make it easier for businesses to get started and for customers to communicate with these businesses.
These include:
Get started on New WhatsApp updates faster
WhatsApp claims that the time it takes for businesses to be up and running has been reduced from weeks to just five minutes. “Whether a business chooses to partner with a business solution provider or receive direct help from Facebook in the future, these enhancements will make it easier for more medium and larger businesses to have customer interactions on WhatsApp,” it stated.
Additional information and new types of messages
New WhatsApp updates claims that as more businesses join the platform, it is enhancing how businesses communicate with their customers. Businesses, for example, were frequently restricted to providing timely alerts, making it impossible to follow up with clients outside of a 24-hour period. WhatsApp has announced that it will now support more sorts of messages, including ones informing users when an item is back in stock.
The group said it has also seen how periodic updates from health authorities about responding to the pandemic have been helpful and we want to make this kind of service available for more types of conversations.
More ways to respond
WhatsApp also announced that it will be releasing new messaging tools to help individuals complete tasks more quickly. People no longer have to type out a response in response to new list messages, which display a selection of up to ten possibilities. People will be able to choose from up to three options with just one tap using the Reply buttons that a business can set up ahead of time using the WhatsApp Business API account.
“As always, people remain in control of their chats. People still need to reach out to start a conversation or request a business contact them via WhatsApp,” it said.
“With these updates, we’re also providing new ways for people to give greater feedback about the experience they are having if they have a reason to block a business.”
